Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN-03) said he is “incredulous” over the Democrats’ failure to protect Israel. In a tweet sent after the Tuesday vote, Phillips said it is terrible that Democrats are failing to “defend one of our most important allies and only Jewish nation in the world from indiscriminate rockets fired by terrorists who refuse to even recognize their right to exist.”
I’m incredulous that certain D colleagues would shut down our government rather than defend one of our most important allies and only Jewish nation in the world from indiscriminate rockets fired by terrorists who refuse to even recognize their right to exist. Read this 👇🏼 https://t.co/12EDkGeSsy
— Rep. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 (@RepDeanPhillips) September 21, 2021
The House Democrats had moved on Tuesday to strip funding for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system from the Continuing Resolution. Then, as was reported by CBS News, on Thursday they “approved a bill providing $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, two days after the funding was stripped from a short-term government spending bill amid objections from progressive lawmakers.”
In an earlier tweet, Phillips said that he is “always troubled by use of force, whether by Israel or our own country.” However, he does not see the Iron Dome as a use of “force,” but instead a method of defense against Hamas.
I’m always troubled by use of force, whether by Israel or our own country. But Iron Dome protects Israel from indiscriminate rockets and missiles fired by sworn enemies who refuse to even recognize their right to exist.
— Rep. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 (@RepDeanPhillips) September 21, 2021
Phillips went on to say that the “Iron Dome protects Israel from indiscriminate rockets and missiles fired by sworn enemies who refuse to even recognize their right to exist.”
Phillips also retweeted Representative Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15) where he said, “Only in a morally inverted universe would [the Iron Dome] be considered a ‘controversy.’”
According to CBS News, when the vote was taken again on Thursday, “The measure cleared the House in a bipartisan vote of 420 to 9. Eight Democrats and one Republican voted against the funding for the missile defense system.”
The funding for the Iron Dome was replaced after many lawmakers responded criticizing the controversial decision to pull it. A handful of progressive Democrats were in opposition to continuing to fund the dome. Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) called Israel “human rights abusers,” saying that they are an apartheid state in a speech on the floor.
Tlaib said, “I will not support an effort to enable and support war crimes, human rights abuses and violence. We cannot be talking only about Israelis need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system.”
Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05), tweeted out after the bill passed that, “We continue to pay lip service to human rights, peace and a two state solution. Yet we also continue to provide Israel with funding without addressing the underlying issue of the occupation.”
We continue to pay lip service to human rights, peace and a two state solution. Yet we also continue to provide Israel with funding without addressing the underlying issue of the occupation.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 23, 2021
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Hayley Tschetter is a reporter with The Minnesota Sun and The Wisconsin Daily Star | Star News Network. Follow Hayley on Twitter or like her Facebook page. Send news tips to [email protected].
